in her hands, I
believe she's going to keep her head, in order to steer straight.

"The girl's name is Joyce Birkdale. Mother dead; raised sort of
promiscuous on the instalment plan. Father an old buck who only keeps
sober because he want's to see what's going on. He lit out and made
himself scarce a time back, and this here Joyce took refuge after a hell
of--excuse me! after a row with the old man--up to the Black Cat. Leon
Tate acts the father-part to any one in a fix--it helps his trade--keeps
folks in his debt, you know, but he ain't going to hamper hisself past a
certain point, and if this here Jude Lauzoon should get a beckon from
old man Birkdale he'd skip as quick as thunder--that's what is troubling
Tate, and, by gosh! it's troubling me, but for another reason what
needn't enter into this here conversation.

"If it was trusting you with a funeral or a christening," Filmer felt
his way gingerly, "I wouldn't care a durn. You can't hurt the dead and
the kid might outgrow it; but when it comes to tying folks together
tight, it's a blamed lot like trusting something brittle in a baby's
hand. It mustn't be broke, you see, or there'll be h--I mean trouble, to
pay."

"See here!" Drew sat up straight, "I'm not much younger than you, if the
truth were known. So let us cut extreme youth out of the question."

"Maybe you are about my age, kid," Jock gazed indulgently upon him, "and
don't let your necktie choke you; but you're pretty raw material, and
I'm seasoned. That's the difference. It ain't anything against you. It's
the way you've been handled. Burying is looked upon by young _and_ old,
solemn-like; but I didn't know how you looked upon--marrying."

"It's the solemnest thing in life." Drew spoke clearly and impressively.
"I think death is a light matter in comparison. I've always thought
that--since, well--for several years."

"Now you're talking!" Jock leaned over and gave Drew a friendly slap on
the shoulder. "Now you're getting on the right course, and I want to
give you this tip. Lay it on thick with Jude. Tell him he'll be
everlasting blasted in kingdom-come if he don't act clean and hold on.
Specially slap it on about holding on. Jude's intentions are good
enough. He's powerful promising at the start, but he's the d----, the
gol-durndest quitter anywhere around.

"Every new boss bets on Jude when the season begins, but every man of
them would like to kick him out of camp before the spring sets in. All
t